Well head equipment



June 1, 1937.

.1. AH. HOWARD 2,082,107

WELL HEAD EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 16, 1951 JAMES H HowARD gyn/vento@ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 menton' JAMES H.H0wARD m3 QMS.

J. H. HOWARD Filed Dec. 16, 1951 WELL HEAD EQUIPMENT June 1, 1937.

Patented June l, 1937 PATENT OFFICE WELL HEAD EQUIPMENT James H. Howard, Houston, Tex., assignor to J. M. McEvoy Company, a corporation Application December` 16, 1931, serial No. 5s1, 3o1

16 Claims.

The invention relates to an improvement in well head assemblies arranged to ycontrol the flow of fluid from the well, as Well as manipulation of the tubing therein.

5 It is one of the objects of the invention to provide an assembly for closing the well and supporting the tubing as well as preventing any leakage by the tubing while it is being inserted and withdrawn from the well.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved tubing hanger which may be readily inserted and withdrawn from the well casing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved seal about the tubing while it is 15 being run into or withdrawn from the well.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seal for well heads wherein any liquid passing into the sealing assembly can be withdrawn to avoid the accumulation of hydraulic forces within 20 the sealing assembly. s

Another object of the invention is to provide a frangible closing member for the tubing while it is being run into the well. t

A still further object of the invention is to 25 provide a tubing hanger which is slidable upon a section of tubing and adapted to receive one of the tubing couplings in order to support the string of tubing.

A still further object of the invention is to 30 provide a tubing hanger adapted to seat upon retractable dogs in the well casing.

It is also an object to provide a tubing hanger which may be withdrawn with the tubing by being lifted by the tubing coupling next below the 35 section of tubing on which the hanger is slidable.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the upper end of a well head equipment showing a sealing assembly.

Figure 2 is a continuation of Figure 1 and showing the retractable dogs for supporting the 45 string of tubing in combination with a closure valve and the tubing in the well casing.

Figures 3 and 4 are sections taken on the lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 shows the tubing hanger seated and ci) supporting the tubing.

Figure 6 is a sdep elevation partly in section showing a modified form of sealing assembly which may also be used as a tubing hanger.

Figure 'l is a broken detail sectional View of a 55 form of pressure head insert to be used in lieu of the slips in the bowl of the casing hea'd.

The invention is best seen in section in Figures l and 2 and embodies the usual casing 2, which is anchored in the earth in the usual man- 60 ner. This casing serves as a support or founda- (Ci. IE6-45) tion for the well head equipment and is cemented in position to withstand the fluid pressure created in the well. Connected to the casing 2 is a tubing hanger support or connection 3, which is of special construction and embodies the flange 4 having formed thereon the projections 5. Each of these projections 5 is arranged to slidably receive a bolt 6, which may be manipulated by means of a nut '1. 'I his bolt has mounted on the end thereof a dog or support block 6, which projects beyond the inner circumference 9 of the coupling 3.

A cap I may or may not beprovided to protect the end of the bolt 6 and the nut 1. If desired, a spring may be positioned between, the block 8 and the base of the recess in which the block is positioned in order to normally press the block inwardly in hanger-receiving position. It is to be understood that the detail construction given above may be altered to embody other forms of control for the dogs or blocks.

Disposed above the coupling 3 is a gate valve I5, which may be connected to the coupling 3 by means of a. nipple I6 or the coupling and gate valve housing may be flanged together. The gate valve I is of usual construction and embodies the gate member I1,' which is slidable transversely of the passage I8 from the casing 2.

The gate I1, as is well understood, may be closed when there is no pipe or tubing in the well to completely close the well.

A piece of pipe or swaged nipple 20 is shown as positioned above the gate valve and serves as a support for the sealing assembly seen in Fig. l and indicated generally at 22. This sealing assembly is arranged to maintain a seal about the string 'of tubing 23 while it is being run into or withdrawn from the well or while it is positioned in the well. Y

The lower end of the tubing is indicated at 24 in Fig. 2 and is representative of any section of tubing which may carry a screen or liner or other construction which is to be positioned in the well. l

The coupling 25 is representative of standard couplings and is arranged to receive a frangible disc 26, which may be made of glassor other suitable material. between the two adjacent sections of tubing which are connected by the coupling 25 and it is intended that after the tubing has been properly positioned in the well that some object such as a small nipple may be dropped into the tubing to break the disc 26 and permit a ow of liquid into the tubing. This construction is of particular advantage in that no blowout can occur through the tubing while the tubing is being run into the well, because the tubing is closed by this disc 26. For purposes of illustration, a similar disc 26 has been shown between the two adjacent This disc is preferably positioned sections of tubing in Fig. 1. It is contemplated that one or more of these discs 25 may be provided and that they `may be positioned either at the bottom or the top of the string of tubing, or at any intermediate position.-

A coupling 30 is shown as connecting the sections 3| and 32 of tubing. These sections are preferably the sections of pipe which are adjacent the lowermost end of the tubing and the coupling 30 is not a standard coupling such as 25 but is preferably somewhat larger in diameter in order to support the tubing hanger or collar 33. When it is intended to run the tubing into the well the collar 33 is positioned on the section 32 and the coupling 38 is then attached to the lower end of the section 32 so that the collar 33 will rest upon the coupling 30. The coupling 30 is then attached to the section 3| and this assembly lowered into the pipe or nipple 20.

As soon as the coupling 30 and collar 33 have been lowered to a position such as seen in Fig. 1 the sealing assembly 22 may be passed over the pipe section 32 and attached to the pipe 20 by -means of a coupling or the assembly 22 may have been passed onto the tubing 32 prior to the positioning of the collar 33. In any event the pipe section 32 is arranged to be passed through the sealing assembly 22 and to carry the collar 33. From the position of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the string of tubing 23 is lowered into the well after the gate |1 has been opened. When the collar 33 reaches the elevation of the blocks or dogs 8 carried by the casing it is supported on these blocks. It will be noted that the collar 33 is of greater diameter than the opening between the blocks 8, so that it will seat upon these blocks and the wings 38 on the side of the hanger tend to center the same at the time it seats upon the blocks or dogs 8, see Fig. 5.

The lowering of the tubing 23 is then continued and the opening 31 through the center of the hanger 33 is of such diameter that it will permit standard couplings such as 25 to pass down into the well. When sufficient length of tubing has been lowered into the well, and it is desired to suspend the tubing from the collar or hanger 33, an enlarged coupling such as 35 may then be positioned as a connection on the uppermost end of the upper section of tubing. A nipple or other piece of tubing is then connected to this coupling 35 and the lowering of the string is continued until such coupling seats in the hanger recess 4|) in the collar 33.

This recess has a seat 4| therein to receive the enlarged coupling 35, and in this manner serves to support the entire string of tubing. After this coupling is seated in the recess 40 the nipple or setting tool 34 used to land the tubing may or may not be removed. If it is removed, the well may be flowed directly through the casing. If it is retained in position the well may be ilowed through the tubing and in this event the sealing assembly 22 serves to maintain a seal about the tubing.

When the tubing is to be withdrawn from the well the nipple or other piece of pipe connected to the coupling 35, which is positioned in the recess 48, is raised and the coupling 35 will be withdrawn from the recess. The tubing will be withdrawn from the well until such time as the lower coupling 30 engages the base of the collar 33 whereupon it is raised from its position on the dogs 8 and'withdrawn from the well with the tubing. In this manner a hanger for the tubing has been positioned when the tubing was first started into the well and is withdrawn when the tubing is removed from the well without further manipulation or operations on the part of the workers. The dogs 8 are adjustable radially to accommodate different sizes of tubing or different sizes of hanger and can be withdrawn so that they will not interfere with the passage of any equipment into or out of the well. The upper end of the collar 33 is tapered at the entrance to the seat 4| in order to assist the coupling 35 in entering the recess 40.

The sealing assembly 22 may or may not be used in combination with the hanger or collar 33 and the frangibie disc 28. but in order to obtain a complete seal of the well while the tubing is being run this assembly may be positioned on the well head. The assembly includes a housing 45, which is arranged to receive a plurality of sealing elements 46, each of which includes a spacer or support ring 41 and the sealing ring 48. These sealing rings are preferably positioned as shown in Fig. 1 with a downwardly extending ange 48 thereon engaging the tubing or pipe. This flange 49 provides an additional amount of material to increase the sealing area in contact with the pipe and to also form an enlarged body of material-which will not flow upwardly through the opening such as 50 in the support ring 41 when the packing ring is subjected to enormous pressures. l f- The opening 50 in the support rings is made of suflicient diameter to pass not only the standard coupling 25 but also the enlarged coupling 30. It should be noted that the support rings 41 and the sealing rings 48 are spaced apart to form a trap 5| in order to provide suiiicient area 'for the rim or iiange 49 to move downwardly when a coupling is passing downwardly into the well. 'I'he packing rings 48 have enlarged rims 52 which are positioned in corresponding recesses in the two adjacent support` rings 41.

The cutaway area 5| is in the nature of a trap which is dened by the concaved face 53 on the supporting ring 41 and by the concaved face 58 on the lower side of each of the sealing rings 48.

A particular feature of advantage in the sealing assembly 22 is the fact that some of the support rings 41 are provided with outlet openings such as 54, which lead to a pipe or bleeder line 55. It has been found by experience that when pressure occurs in the well there is an accumulation of such pressure in the trap 5| between the sealing rings. It this pressure is caused by a gas which tends to flow the rings 48 through the openings 58, this may bind the tubing; whereas, vii? this pressure can be led away from the area by the rings it assists materially in forming a proper seal. If the pressure is due to the presence of liquid which has leaked past the iirst one or two rings, it then forms a solid hydraulic piston between the adjacent sealing elements and any sealing effect then disappears." If, however, this iluid can be led away from the trap 5| as it accumulates, the sealing rings 48 may still remain in a flexible condition and serve their sealing `function without hindrance from the accumulating liquid. The bleeder line 55 is shown as controlled by a valve 56 and this valve may be opened to allow a constant ilow of accumulated iluid or it may be closed and opened periodically to release the accumulated fluid, and in this manner reduce the pressure in the sealing assembly.

Lock rings 51 at opposite ends of the housing 45 serve to position and assemble the sealing elements and suppoi :ing rings.

aosaiov In order to anchor the tubing while it is being run in or withdrawn from the well a set of slips 60 have been positioned in the bowl 6l, which is connected by a coupling 62l to the housing 46 of the sealing assembly. To insure that the tubing string will not be blown from the well due to the disc 28, a locking mechanism 83 has been provided in the head or bowl 6I in the form of a set of balls 65, which are normallylheld in contact with the tubing string 22 by means of the springs 66. These balls travel in a tapered groove or seat 61 so that they are urged against the pipe and form a rigid stop which will prevent upward movement of the tubing. When it is desired to raise the tubing from the well the slips 69 are removed and a nipple or other member may be seated in the bowl 6I to cause downward movement of the balls 65 to remove them from contact with the tubing.

While a speciilc form of sealing-assembly 22 has been shown and described it is contemplated that such assembly may assume various forms lWithout departing from the spirit of the invensembly is arranged upon the nipple or pipe 20,.

best seen in Figure 2. In this modification a coupling 10 has been provided with the flow lines 1i and 12 so that the iluid may be conducted away from the well.

Mounted above the coupling 10 is the sealing assembly 14, which comprises the base 15 and a cap 16. These two members are joined by a sleeve or housing 11, which is arranged to support the packing or sealing elements 18. These elements are preferably spaced annular rings or segments 19 of flexible material which are arranged to yield sufllciently to permit the passage of a coupling such as 30 or 35. l'I'hese segments 19 are maintained in spaced relation by means of the spacer rings 80, which may be stacked within the sleeve 11 and firmly positioned by means of a locking ring 8|. It is intended that these flexible wipers or packing rings are to engage against the tubing, or any couplings passing therethrough, with sufficient` pressure to maintain a seal. It is probable that there will be some leakage by these wiping rings, but, with a view of extending the usefulness of the sealing assembly, a drain or bleed line 82 has been provided which serves somewhat the same purpose as the bleed line 55 of Figure l. A valve 83 is provided on this line so that any iluid may drain oil' which may accumulate within the chamber 84 between the wiping rings. It seems obvious that if the fluid is drained olf as it accumulates in the chamber 84 that the upper wiping rings 85 will always be in proper condition to maintain a seal with the tubing.

The coupling or cross 10 is of special construction and is provided with a tapered seat 86, which is arranged to receive the enlarged coupling 35, which may be lowered into the cross in order to support the tubing. When a cross such as 10 provided with the seat 86 is used, the tubing will then be hung at a position above the gate valve, or the gate valve may be dispensed with. It seems obvious that a cross may be provided at this position, which does not embody the seat 86, but is of suillcient size to permit the free passage of the enlarged coupling 35, and, when this arrangement issued, the hanger or collar Il will be included in the tubing assembly and will vseat upon" the block l as best seen in Figure 5.

The cap 16 is shown as being formed withv a tapered bowl 88, which receives the slips 9|. with this additional structure, it is possible to support the tubing at any desired elevation, irrespective of whether the tubing orA hanger is properly seated or not and these slips will be used when the tubing is run. into or withdrawn from the well.

Figure 7 shows a somewhat modified form 14' of the cap 18 in which the bowl 99' has been cut away as at 82, which recess is formed with/ratchet or screw thread teeth 93.

'I'he insert 96 includes the upper plate 91,

the lower plate 98 and the compressible packlngring 99. It is intended that this `head Il will! be of two or more parts, preferably hinged together so that the insert may be dropped into the bowl 90' and will be latched in-position by the automatic action of the the teeth 93. v

It is contemplated that this insert 96 may be used in lieu of the slips 9i shown in Figure 6 or the slips 60 shown in Figure 1. It is to be understood that when this pressure insert is to be used that a cap such as 16' will be positioned upon the sealing assembly instead of a cap having a uniformly tapered bowl. It will be readily apparent that with the insert 96 a complete and positive seal of the well head may be had and that a double seal about the tubing is thus provided if it is desired to use the insert in lieu of the slips. .i

The bleeder line 55 or the line 80 may also be used for the lpurpose of injecting a lubricant dogs 94 engaging around the wiper rings while the tubing is vbeing passed therethrough.' It has been found 4that an It seems readily apparent that there are sev-` eral combinations of structure disclosed in this application; that they may be used either inA combination or in lieu of each other in order to maintain a complete seal upon the well while the tubing is being run in or withdrawn. i

What I claim as new is:

1. An assembly for sealing well heads including a casing, a valve structure thereon, a closure head disposed above said valve, a string of tubing in said casing, an enlarged member oxfi said tubing disposed between two of the tubing couplings at an elevation where the tubing is to be suspended and adapted to receive a coupling to suspend the tubing, and a set of retractable'dogs carried by said casing and adapted to receive said enlarged member to suspend said string of tubing.

2. An assembly for sealing well heads including a casing, a valve structure thereon, a closure head disposed above said valve, a string of tubing in said casing, an enlarged member on said tubing disposed between two of the tubing cou.-

4. A hanger construction for the tubing in well casings including a hanger collar slidable on the well tubing and adapted to pass standard tubing couplings, means on the casing to support said hanger, and means on the tubing to engage said hanger, said means including an enlarged member above and below said collar on the tubing string to seat and unseat said collar.

5. In combination with a well casing head assembly, means to hang a string of tubing in the well casing, a means to sealabout the tubing including a housing, alternately'spaced support and sealing rings in said housing, and oppositely concaved adjacently disposed faces on said rings forming a fluid trap whereby a greater pressure area to provide a'seal is obtained, and means to bleed said trap.

6. A hanger con struction for tubing in well casing including a connection on the casing, blocks carried by said connection, an enlarged member on the tubing to seat on said blocks, said blocks and said member being formed to pass standard couplings on said tubing, and an enlarged coupling to seat in and suspend the tubing from said member.

7. An assembly for sealing well heads, a casing, a pipe in said casing, a. head supported on said casing, a seat in said head with an internal bore large enough to pass regular collars of said pipe but adapted to receive an enlarged member of said tubing to form a fluid tight joint, means detachably mounted on said head to resiliently seal about said pipe and collar, said sealing means including rings of resilient material for successively reducing the well pressure, means for bleeding off reduced pressure, additional resilient sealing means above said bleed off, and means above s aid sealing means to support said pipe, said means including a downwardly tapered bowl.

8. An assembly for sealing a well head including a casing, a pipe therein, a supporting fitting on said casing, a valve on said fitting, sealing means around said pipe above said valve, a bushing on said pipe adapted to be supported by said supporting tting, said bushing adapted to pass the standard collars on said pipe, but to support an enlarged member therein, said bushing having external iluid passageways, and said pipe being removable from said enlarged member to permit closure of said valve.

9. In combination with a well head, a casing, a support -tting thereon, a valve on said fitting, a pipe in said casing, a bushing adapted to be supported by said support fitting, said bushing also adapted to pass the standard collars on said pipe and to support in sealing engagement an enlarged member on said pipe, said well head adapted to seal about an extension of said pipe and permit disconnection from said enlarged member to permit the closure of said valve.

10. A closure for well heads including a casing, a pipe therein, a head on said casing, circular rings oi' resilient sealing material in said head, said rings being concaved and downwardly tapered to form a thick lip at the inner section on the high pressure side and on the low pressure side being flat and adapted to be supported by a metallic ring when subjected to pressure, said ring being of just suiiicient diameter to freely permit passage of collars on said pipe so that the entire ring with the exception of the lip is supported against upward movement.

11. A closure for well heads including a casing, a pipe therein, a head on said casing, circular rings of resilient material in said head, said rings being downwardly tapered at the inner section on the high pressure side, the outer section of said rings being adapted for clinching engagement with holding rings in said head, and the middle section of said rings being substantially perpendicular to the axis of said pipe, said perpendicular section being greater in width on the low pressure side than on the high pressure side.

12. A closure for Well heads including a casing, a pipe therein, a head on said casing, circular rings of resilient material in said head, a downwardly aring projecting lip on each ring, circular rings of metal between said resilient rings adapted to support said resilient rings on the low pressure side, and said metallic rings being of just sumcient inside diameter to freely pass the collars on said pipe, said resilient rings having the thickened lip to contact the pipe to form a seal and of a size which will not i'lex around the metal rings.

13. A hanger construction for tubing in well casings including a connection on the casing, blocks carried by said connection, an enlarged member carried by the tubing to seat on said blocks, enlarged couplings on said tubing above and below said member, and means on said member to receive the upper enlarged tubing coupling to suspend the tubing string from said member.

14. A. well head construction including a tubing and casing, means thereon to support the tubing in said casing, closure means for the casing above said means, and additional means to seal about the tubing above said casing closure means, said first means being so'constructed as to provide movable means which are adapted to leave a full open casing.

15. In a well head assembly a well casing and pipe therein, means to seal about said pipe including a resilient member about the pipe, an undercut downwardly extending lip on said member to seal with said pipe, and additional sealing means independent of said member to also seal about and support said pipe.

16. An assembly for sealing a well head including a casing, a pipe therein, a supporting liitting on said casing, a valve on said tting, sealing means around said pipe above said valve, a bushing on said pipe adapted to be supported by said supporting fitting, said bushing having external iluid passageways, and said pipe being removable from said iitting to permit closure of said valve.

JAMES H. HOWARD.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. 5

Patent No. 2,082,107. June 1. 1937.

JAMES,H. HOWARD.

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in the above numbered patent was erroneously written and printed as "J. M. McEvoy 8: Company" whereas said name should have been written and printed as J. H. McEvoy 8c Company, a corporation; as shown bythe records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 24th day of August, A. D. 1957'.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

